Have you moved residences since the last elections? Is your new address overseas, in a different city, municipality, or barangay? If you answered “yes” to either of the previous two questions, you must request for a transfer of voter registration at the local Commission on Elections (Comelec) office.

How to Transfer Voters Registration

Similar to applying to vote for the first time when transferring your voter registration. If you’re wondering how to transfer voters registration in the Philippines, follow the steps outlined by the Comelec.

Here’s how:

Fill out the application form

The CEF-1 application form should be completed. The Comelec website or your local municipality’s Office of the Election Officer (OEO) have it available for download.

Note: Should you decide to print the registration form, be sure to print it back-to-back on 8″ x 13″ paper. 

Shade the oval beside “APPLICATION FOR TRANSFER OF REGISTRATION RECORD,” and indicate if you are transferring within the same city or municipality. 

Give your new address and stay length. Someone must live in their intended voting district for six months before the May 2025 elections.

Suppose you want to transfer your voter registration to another city or municipality. You must complete a personal information form on the second page of the CEF-1 form.

If you are a senior citizen or have a disability, kindly complete the “supplementary data form” or Annex B.

Do not sign or thumbmark the application at home. You must sign it before the election officer in your local Comelec office.

Send the Application and other Documentation to your local Comelec office

Visit the OEO or your local Comelec office to turn in your completed registration application and required paperwork. (The forms are also available at the Comelec office in your area.)

Visit the Comelec’s website to learn about Metro Manila and city/municipality offices and discover your nearest one.

The OEO in your city or municipality accepts registration applications Monday through Friday and at satellite registration offices on Saturdays from 8 am to 5 pm. The voter registration deadline is until September 30, 2024.

Also Read: Midterm elections to use mall voting says Comelec 

Localities may have different schedules for satellite registration.

Present valid identification: 

• PWD ID
• School-signed student ID or library card 
• Employee’s ID with employer’s signature 
• Postal ID 
• Senior citizen’s ID 
• Passport
• SSS/GSIS ID 
• Driver’s license
• NBI clearance
• Integrated Bar of the Philippines ID 
• License issued by the PRC
• The National Commission on Indigenous Peoples’ confirmation certificate for indigenous peoples or cultural communities 
• Any other valid ID 

Note: Police clearance and cedulas are not accepted.

Suppose you do not have any of the mentioned documents. Comelec’s website states that applicants “may be identified under oath by any registered voter of the precinct where he/she intends to be registered, or by any of his/her relatives within the fourth civil degree of consanguinity or affinity,” in that case. 

A registered voter may identify only up to three applicants.

Your biometrics will then be collected using Comelec’s voter registration machine. These include your photo, fingerprints, and signature. 

An acknowledgment receipt proving the submission of application for a transfer of voters registration Comelec requirements will be provided to you. Do not lose this document.

Wait for your application to be approved

The Election Registration Board needs to approve your application first. Every year, on the third Monday in April, July, October, and January, the ERB holds quarterly sessions during which all eligible applicants are approved.

Your local election officer will register you in the voter book after your application is accepted. You have transferred your voter registration successfully. 

There are two ways to confirm your voter registration status, according to the Comelec’s voter assistance centre:

• Call Comelec IT at 8527-9365 or 8526-7769.
• Directly contact your district, city, or municipality OEO.

Please visit Comelec’s official website or contact the poll body on Facebook if you have any additional inquiries about voter registration. Additionally, you can contact the Election and Barangay Affairs Department of the Comelec via email at ebad@comelec.gov.ph or by phone at (02) 8525-9298 or 09275595926.

Also Read: GUIDE: COMELEC Registration 2023 Required Documents and Procedures

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I get voters certificate online? 

Yes, applicants have to set an appointment via the Facebook page of the Comelec-NCFD using the link bit.ly/NCFDFBPage. In addition, they must access and complete the online voter certification application and request form.

Does the Comelec still issue voters ID?

Because the government released the national ID under the Philippine Identification System (PhilID), the poll board postponed the voter ID process indefinitely in December 2017.

Who is Comelec?

The establishment of an independent Commission on Elections was authorised by the Philippine Constitutions of 1973 and 1987. This commission would have the authority to oversee the conduct of political activities and enforce and administer election regulations. The primary defender of the ballot is the Commission on Elections (COMELEC).

Final Thoughts

To register for the 2025 elections, complete the application form, submit to your local Comelec office, and await approval from the Election Registration Board. The Register Anywhere Program (RAP) provides convenience by establishing registration hubs nationwide. Remember key dates like August 31 and encourage participation in the electoral process.

Now, distance won’t be an excuse for not exercising your right to vote come election day.

Sources:(1),(2),(3),(4),(5)

Keep Reading: How to Correct Name in Birth Certificate (All You Need to Know!)